In some settings it may be desirable to perform a surgical procedure in a minimally invasive manner, such as through a trocar or other type of access cannula. Examples of trocars include the various ENDOPATH® EXCEL™ products by Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio. Such trocars may present different inner diameters, such as those ranging from approximately 4.7 mm to approximately 12.9 mm, allowing a surgeon to choose a particular trocar based on a balance of considerations such as access needs and incision size. In some minimally invasive surgical procedures, at least two trocars may be inserted through the abdominal wall of the patient. An imaging device such as an endoscope may be inserted through one of the trocars to provide visualization of the surgical site. A surgical instrument may be inserted through another one of the trocars to perform surgery at the site. In procedures performed within the abdominal cavity, the cavity may be insufflated with pressurized carbon dioxide to provide more room for visualization and manipulation of instruments. In some settings, additional trocars may be used to provide access for additional surgical instruments. Minimally invasive surgery may also be performed through access portals such as the Single Site Laparoscopy Access System by Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio, which provides ports for more than one surgical instrument through a single incision in a patient.
It may also be desirable to use sutures during some minimally invasive surgical procedures, such as to close an opening, to secure two layers of tissue together, to provide an anastomosis, etc. Such use of sutures may be in addition to or in lieu of using other devices and techniques such as clips, staples, electrosurgical sealing, etc. Performing suturing through trocars or other minimally invasive access ports may be more difficult than suturing in an open surgical procedure. For instance, manipulating a needle and suture with conventional tissue graspers through trocars may be relatively difficult for many surgeons. Thus, improved laparoscopic surgical instruments may make suturing procedures performed through trocars relatively easier. Examples of surgical instruments configured to facilitate suturing through trocars include the LAPRA-TY® Suture Clip Applier, the Suture Assistant, and the ENDOPATH® Needle Holder, all of which are by Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio. Needle holders may be used to grasp and maneuver a needle during suturing operations through the use of a fixed arm and a grasping arm that clamp about a needle. Thus, a user can grasp, maneuver, and release a needle between the fixed arm and grasping arm. In some versions, the holders may include a self-righting feature to rotate the needle into a position that is perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis of the needle holder and to the arm surfaces when clamped. Merely exemplary needle holders are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,583, entitled “Force Limiting Arrangement for Needle Holder for Endoscopic Surgery,” issued May 9, 1995 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,587, entitled “Needle Holder with Suture Filament Grasping Abilities,” issued Sep. 14, 1999, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Exemplary suturing needles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,771, entitled “Radiused Tip Surgical Needles and Surgical Incision Members,” issued May 2, 2000, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0100125, entitled “Suture Needle and Suture Assembly,” published Apr. 22, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/413,680, entitled “Custom Needle for Suture Instrument,” filed Nov. 15, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/295,186, entitled “Needle for Laparoscopic Suturing Instrument,” filed on Nov. 14, 2011, published as U.S. Pub. No. 2012/012347 on May 17, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
While several systems and methods have been made and used for laparoscopic suturing devices, it is believed that no one prior to the inventors has made or used the invention described in the appended claims.
The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the technology may be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present technology, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the technology; it being understood, however, that this technology is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.